After a decline in sales of the Velosolex
3800, the directors of Courbevoie decide in
1970 to rejuvenate the gamut in creating the
solex 5000

" Father and son finally agree. But maybe not for the same reasons.
"

“ The Solex 5000 puts an end to an agonizing battle of generations:
the battle of two wheels. ”

Mild slogans, but May 1968 is not distant, the ads for the 5000 are centered
around the agreement between parents and kids on choosing the 5000, a
SINFAC type of revolution.

Photo taken at Place du Tertre in Montmartre.
The photograph shows youngsters on two solex 5000, yellow and blue, alongside a painter and the famous village policeman of the Montmartre commune.
Jacques Delarue, deceased in 1998, a.k.a. “Anatole”, a mixture of modern and traditional.

The solex 5000 takes back:

- from the solex Flash its Soubitez headlight attached to the handlebar
as well as the plastic “Solex” bumper on the rear baggage
carrier.

The specifications of the solex 5000:
- a frame with the same concept as that of the solex 3800 but adapted
for smaller wheels (2 x 16 whitewall Michelin, Dunlop or Volbert tires,
Michelin will later put out the same tire in all black.)
- Four colors are available: snow white, atoll blue, orange and palm yellow.
- The tool box is no longer at the rear of the luggage rack. It is installed
under the seat.
- The motor is the same as the 3800’s, the lifting done by means
of a crank with a black plastic ball screwed onto the end.
- the fenders are made of stainless steel.
- weight: 28 kg Price in 1971: 529 F

Photo taken on the shore of the Seine River in Paris showing 3 Solex 5000’s, yellow, blue and orange

The Solex 5000 was made in different factories:

- by SINFAC at Courbevoie
(Hauts de Seine).
(New Industrial Society for the Fabrication of Cars and Cycles)
- by SEMI at Macon
(Saone & Loire).
(Society for Industrial Manufacturing and Exploitation).
- by Motobecane at Saint-Quentin (Aisne).

The Solex 5000 was sold from January 1971 until march 1978 :

Month Year

Motor number

Price

January 1971

7.000.002

529 F

January 1972

7.079.595

January 1973

7.117.674

599 F

January 1974

7.155.661

637 F

January 1975

7.224.292

784 F

In addition, we know that Motobecane produced 5000’s at Saint-Quentin at the end of 1977 and in the beginning
of 1978 using 9,000,000 serial numbers. Some of the last export models had "Motobecane” decals on each side of the central frame.

( Sources: Franck MENERET, Maxime MICHAUD
)

One can safely say that about 300,000 Solex 5000 ’s were produced.

SOLEX 5000 DOCUMENTS

SOLEX 5000 ADVERTISEMENTS

THE PLI-SOLEX (THE FOLDING-SOLEX )

The folding version of the 5000 began in 1974, its selling price to be 529 F at this time. The number of examples is estimated to be 4000, only
one color known as unwanted orange, one photo from SINFAC shows it in blue.

Specifications compared to a traditional 5000:
- Soubitez headlight borrowed from the Solex Tenor.
- removal of the handlebar and seat using a quick-release mechanism.
- independent motor assembly.
- folding central frame.
- twist grips on the handlebars borrowed from a competitor of the time,the
one on the right side removable, to be removed as part of the motor assembly.

THE SOLEX 5000 IN VERSAILLES

THE SOLEX 5000 DESTINED FOR THE DUTCH MARKET

A version of the 5000 destined for the Dutch
market made at and supplied by Pantin & Saint-Quentin